1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to enterprise networks, and, more particularly, to encryption over enterprise networks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention relates to how enterprise networks can secure their Ethernet packet data units (PDUs) using Ethernet encryption when that Ethernet traffic is transported over resilient Multi-Protocol Layer Switching (MPLS) Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), also called Virtual Private Line Services (VPLS).
Enterprise networks have been connecting their sites distributed over a metro area network (MAN) provided to them by their service providers and using VPLS as defined through a number of Internet drafts and Request For Comments (RFCs) in the IETF Layer 2 VPN working group. Enterprise networks have been using those provider provisioned MPLS networks with different network resiliency scenarios, where Customer Edge (CE) routers can be redundant and/or service Providers Edge (PE) routers can also be redundant.